Toby Keith has made a grand return to the stage. In the midst of his battle with stomach cancer, the 61-year-old country singer performed an impromptu concert on Friday night (June 30) at Hollywood Corners, a restaurant and venue he owns in his home state of Oklahoma.
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According to an Instagram post, what started off as a rehearsal turned into a full-blown performance for a crowd that gathered at an outdoor stage. “Toby‘s first rehearsal turned into a 2 1/2 hour pop-up show,” read the caption alongside photos of the singer smiling from the stage and belting out a note as he raises a red solo cup in the air. “He sang all the hits plus the Bus Songs…Toby is back!”
This statement is proven true by a fan video showing Keith performing his 1993 hit, “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action,” along with the chart-topping “How Do You Like Me Now?!“
Keith announced in June 2022 that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer and was undergoing treatment. Despite the “debilitating” chemotherapy process, Keith said in a recent interview with The Oklahoman that his health is improving and he’s gaining more energy. “I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less, and I’ve only got one that’s shown up,” he explained.
The hitmaker is also working toward getting back on the road, testing his stamina to see if he can perform a full show. “I’ve got more wind and I’m thinking about bringing the band in and setting up, playing two or three days somewhere just to see if I can get through two hours,” he continued. “All I gotta do is see if I can get through two or three nights of work and get a little break in this chemo, and we’ll go back to work. I’m ready. That’s living.”
Keith isn’t letting the illness slow him down too much. In June 2023, he hosted his 19th annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic, which raised $1.8 million for OK Kids Korral, an organization founded by The Toby Keith Foundation that provides lodging for the families of children receiving cancer treatment.
Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage
